


Stalker Case

by LadyAGiGi



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Case Fic, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Murder Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Break Up, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:13:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26518792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAGiGi/pseuds/LadyAGiGi
Summary: Five asks Vanya for help to catch a serial killer, despite no talking to each other for almost a year since their break up.It doesn’t help that she is dealing with problems on her own. The feel of eyes watching her every move is tiring, but putting up with Five is even more.In the process Vanya realizes what she has lost... but he’s still an arrogant jerk.
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy/Vanya Hargreeves
Comments: 30
Kudos: 79





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This was created because I wanted add my two cents to the fandom. I mean, this is my new OTP :P

**Chapter 1**

**Prologue**

Vanya, who had rosy cold cheeks because of the incoming winter, walked with her apartment as a destination while carrying a bag of groceries. A late trip to the grocery store because her fridge was empty. Her pace got faster after spotting men drinking in a corner, she turned her head to avoid the gazes that were lingering on her body while holding out her breath because she disliked the smell of cigarretes. It was getting dark and the crime in The City increased as hours passed. She jumped, feeling a vibration in her pocket but it was just her cell phone.

With difficulty she grabbed her phone and saw the notifications.

A lot of text messages from an unknown number.

As a general rule she avoided answering them or even looking at them, thinking it came from someone who got the wrong number.

Only her students and her sister sent her text messages.

That made her feel lonely, the thought of being unimportant to most people, but being depressed by something she decided was her own choice wasn’t logical, it had been her decision to live like this.

It wasn't like she could do anything about it.

She walked down the stairs quickly and turned her head to all directions, looking for something out of place.

Everything in order.

After a few failed attempts, because her hands were rather frozen, the door was finally open. She made a quick mental note to buy gloves and with that in mind Vanya locked the door, letting a long sigh of relief. Her apartment was dark and slightly cold, her cheeks resented it.

She put the groceries on the table thinking on making tomato soup, she turned and noticed a man sitting on her single sofa. 

The scream Vanya was going to let out got stuck in her throat when she recognized who it was.

Five, her brother.

Ex-lover.

"Jesus," she sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Five, what are you doing here? You should have called or something."

Five snorted and raised an eyebrow.

"I did that, check your phone," he replied and Vanya crossed her arms.

"I didn't recognize the number, you change it," she said, understanding the implication and trying to hide the hurt in her words with a controlled tone.

"Uh? I forgot to tell you. The others have it,” he replied with a small smile to show that he felt sorry for not telling her but she didn't believe him, his dark eyes were sharp. She hasn't seen him for several months because he mostly did missions out of the country, but he kept contact with the others, Allison told her that. He avoided her and she didn't know how to feel.

Relieved? Wounded?

"Okay, but you didn't answer my question, why are you here?"

"I have a mission and I need your help," he replied after a pause, green eyes resting on her. She felt self-conscious by his gaze, Five affected her like that.

But what she heard almost made her laugh.

"Why would _you_ need my help?" She tainted her words with humor because Five never asked for help.

"To put it simply, I need you to act as bait." Five waited for her response but Vanya didn't say anything. She repeated on her mind the ridiculous words Five uttered.

"To what?" She asked tiredly after a beat of silence.

"To whom, Vanya. I'll give you the details tomorrow, It's getting late and I just completed a mission." He rose from the seat and Vanya noticed the height difference between them. Five patted her shoulder twice and gave her a sharp smile.

“I didn't say yes Five. Also, why me?"

"Let's just say my target has a type, you fill the bill."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and liking the story I appreciate that :D

**Chapter 2**

Five took the couch and she walked into her room without saying another word after eating soup with him, the tension between them was high but they both tried to ignore it. The windows rattled because of the wind and the strong raining. She tightened the sheets to cover her body and tried to calm herself and sleep but couldn't despite needing more than a full night to recover her energy. She turned her body towards her nightstand and saw an orange bottle.

She closed her eyes tightly, as if making it disappear but knew it would be there. A glaring reminder.

She tried to clear her mind and focused on the sounds. The wind blowing in a high tone, drops of water slaming against the ceilling, Five's heartbeat, a steady, almost soothing sound. Five was here, sleeping in her apartment after months of not seeing each other, the news and Allison's updates were the only thing Vanya had to know Five was alright. She couldn't even breath properly when memories of Five and her replayed in her mind.

He was always a strong person who faced any challenge with eyes full of determination and confident demeanor. 

Vanya wanted to be like him. 

And now his cold eyes and distant words were like a bucket of cold water.

But she knew it was for the best.

Vanya thought of Five's words, and wondered in the darkness of her mind why he would ask for her help, somehow risk her. Vanya felt dumb, she could be in the pits of depression, gasping in anxiety and without a way out, and no one would notice.

Nobody would care.

Five was no different.

She once thought he was.

When he entered her room and the sound of their breaths would be the only thing she heard. When she, tired of practicing the violin, slept in the arms of Five who had arrived from a mission and only wanted to forget about the violence, and the blood and the lives he ended so easily. His hands would caress her head, fingers tangled with threads of hair, and the whisper of his voice telling her that he liked her long hair.

She ran a hand into her short hair, throath tight and constricted.

___

“Twelve bodies have been found in the last three months,” Five began to talk with a cup of coffee in hand, he took a sip and then another. Vanya waited for him to continue, staring down at her own cup of coffee mixing the ingredients with a small spoon.

“We thought it was a coincidence, the crime in The City is high. Nothing out of the ordinary, but then we were hired by someone who wants us to eliminate the threat,” he rested his chin in one hand, frowning. Vanya wondered who he meant by we and who hired them.

“There's some evidence that is disturbing in itself," he continued, and his eyes rested lazily on Vanya, almost casual.

“What evidence?” Vanya asked, alarmed but curious. Five reached down and placed a black briefcase on the table. Vanya let a silent cry, the action nearly causing the coffee to spill. Five raised an eyebrow in response and humor colored his features for a second.

“Here.” Five pulled photographs out of a folder with a more guarded tone with a expression she couldn't decipher. Vanya looked at each of the photographs and almost threw them away from her. She could feel the weight of Five's gaze and she tried to calm herself, looking away with heated cheeks.

It was horrible. Death bodies, tortured. Femenine, small in size but clearly they were women. Blood everywhere, dripping from their ears, hair stained of red, but if she looked closely she could see the color brown of their hair. Some of them had expressions of terror, brown eyes with tears frozen in time.

Unconsciously she put a hand over her mouth and turned away to block them, trying to erase them but they were in her brain.

“Whoever is doing this chooses their victims based on certain physical characteristics. There is more to it, but that is classified information.” He finally said and tapped the table with his fingers.

“Now you are aware of why I need your help,” he said after that, without telling her more.

“Yeah,” she replied, trying to hide the tremor in her voice. An uncomfortable beat of silence passed between them, she avoided eye contact by looking, instead, at her coffee cup. The nodes in her stomach ruined the tought of even taking a little sip, thinking she could vomit. Vanya preferred to avoid further acts of weakness in front of Five.

“I-” she said, but the words on her mind got caught in her throat. Five hummed in response. “I think you should ask Diego or Luther for help.” The words came out after a while.

“You think I didn't?” He smiled, showing his dimples. “They are already on the case, we have been for weeks, actually.” She didn't know why that surprised her, clearly Five would seek help from the others first.

“Whoever is doing this, is clearly smart and we're not even sure if it just one person. But we have a lead, and we want to eliminate them as soon as possible. The only thing I ask, is for you to act as a bait,” Five said. His words were processed in her mind, trying to find reasons to accept, but she crossed her arms, almost defensively.

“You could ask for someone else, it's not like I'm the only person with… my features,” she said and Five didn't reply, but Vanya could hear the tension in his jaw and the grinding of his teeth. Vanya didn't have to look at him to know Five was giving her a look of reproach.

“Vanya,” he hissed, and she looked at him in surprise, it was a tone he used with his brothers, but never on her. It seemed he wanted to say something else but composed himself into a more relaxed, almost false stance. Five began to put the photographs back in the folder.

“I'll give you a few more days to think about it,” he walked towards the door and tilted his head. Five looked like he was about to say something but didn't.

She leaned back in the chair after hearing the click sound of the closed door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what's up with them?
> 
> I have a lot of ideas for this that I'm still trying to process (hehe), but I will say that in this "universe" Five never went to the future and canon is somewhat dead.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanya remembers about her past relationship.

**Chapter 3**

The clock was ticking in two constant sounds and Vanya, fidgeting in the seat, unconsciously licked her lips to ease some tension and anxiety that was starting to develop in a severe headache.

“How do you feel about it?” In front of her the therapist rested a hand on his chin with unmoving eyes after her rambling. She always felt a little self-conscious when someone focused their attention on her, thinking that they were reading her mind, noticing all of her doubts and anxiousness and every minuscule twitch of her body, like an ant under a glass, and just as weak and defenseless.

The same feeling creeping upon her when her father looked at her when she was younger.

But this was her therapist, she trusted him. With a deep breath, Vanya tried to word her feelings that at times were too intense.

“Upset, to be honest,” she said and paused, the therapist gestured her to continue. “He enters my apartment unannounced, asks for my help, and gets mad when I refuse. He expects me to do as he says, just like that. It’s not like we are children anymore and I do whatever he wants.”

Vanya tried to calm her shacky hands, remembering for a moment when she was a child and followed Five around the house because he was the only one who noticed her.

“It’s understandable, and you should feel proud of yourself, this is quite the progress.” There was a smile in his face that she wanted to correspond. “A few months earlier and you would be here trying to find reasons to blame yourself because Quentin got a little upset with you.”

“Yeah.” It’s the only answer she could word, but he nodded in understanding, knowing what she meant by that. At times she felt like her therapist was the only one who understand her.

“I’m a little curious, what did he ask you to do?” Vanya looked at her hands and the therapist waited patiently for her to answer, like he always did when she didn’t have the correct words in her tongue.

Vanya didn’t want to tell him that they were talking about Five, the superhero. It would be bad, and she wasn’t stupid, doubting that he would believe her. That she is a sister to the Hargreeves, the only sibling without powers, the ordinary one. Her last name was only a coincidence that she shared with them and that’s the only thing he had to know.

Five with haunted eyes and between sweet kisses on her neck told her to keep their relationship a secret. No one had to know about them, because he had enemies, and they would harm her first just to get to him.

It was different now, he wanted her to act as a bait.

“I…don’t want to say it, but it’s bad and it scares me. He normally goes to his friends for things like that… well, he did, but he also asked for my help… I’m a little worried about him.”

The therapist sighed. “It’s alright if you don’t want to tell me, I’m not upset about it. But what Quentin does or doesn’t shouldn’t be a cause of stress to you. He’s not your responsibility, he never was.”

___

That night she gazed at the ceiling and wondered about her therapist’s words and what exactly Five meant to her. He was everything to her once, the only one who made her feel extraordinary. She liked how Five needed her, just her, and she felt the same for him.

And then she caught him in the phone talking to another woman in a soft tone and even softer eyes.

Vanya tried to rationalize what she heard, didn’t want to be like those hysteric women from the books. Maybe she misheard and there was no woman at all, it was all in her head.

But days and weeks passed and Five was always away, fighting crime, resolving some cases with their siblings. If they were alone, he would be writing something on his notebook without glancing at her once.

Sometimes he went missing and didn’t respond to her calls.

Vanya didn’t say anything to Five and acted as if everything was okay when nothing really was.

She lost focus and her appetite. The numbers in the scale were dropping and Five didn’t notice because he didn’t touch her anymore.

He spent more and more time away from her.

Their conversations started to feel awkward.

There was a distance she couldn’t cross.

And Vanya felt nervous, shaking like a leaf, an uneasiness that even the pills couldn’t calm. Erratic heartbeats every time Five was by her side but she knew he was far, slipping from her hands, unable to do something about it. Because he was the one who decided to keep her, and like that, also had the choice to abandon her.

Vanya decided to leave him first.

It was easy in retrospect; they didn’t share a roof because Five didn’t think it was a good idea.

She wasn’t courageous enough to say parting words, to face him and demand an explanation, because she was afraid to hear him say that yes, he didn’t love her like before. A text message was all she left. 

Five didn’t even respond and she was not sure why that surprised her. Being disregarded and ignored was a feeling all too familiar. It was her fault after all. 

When she was walking in the sidewalk at her left a gossiping program was playing, rumors of Five and a mysterious woman was all she heard.

Vanya didn’t know to whom she could talk, Allison was on her mind, but she was dating a man and didn’t want to annoy her with her problems.

She decided to see a therapist.

And how pathetic that was, she had a big family, but they were more like strangers to her.

She never felt more alone.

\---

The pleasent musical notes lifted her mood like medicine to her heart and she hummed along them, the bow touched the violin and it produced a beautiful sound that felt alive.

She learnt to enjoy the music she made because the little mistakes of clumsy fingers or off wrist moves didn’t make her flinch and see the cold disappointed eyes of his father. 

Vanya got out of the building where she worked and sometimes practiced with some coworkers and walked towards her apartment with an umbrella in hand to block the water from wetting her. It was Saturday, her day off. Almost like a routine she gazed at various directions when she felt like someone was watching her. She didn’t know if it was because her medication changed to half a pill per day and the uneasiness and feelings of vulnerability was an after effect. Klaus had told her one day that went he started his sobriety therapy it was like being a paranoid mess. He said other things but Vanya didn’t know if he was joking, but the effects sounded similar.

She felt a vibration in her pocket and grabbed the cellphone.

Allison texted her to meet up and chat a little bit.

She smilled.

Their relationship, at first, was tentative and it began when Allison dragged Vanya to her room and asked in a hushed tone if Five and her were an item because she saw them kissing in the infirmary.

And Vanya, in a giddy tone of a a schoolgirl, told her everything because she couldn’t contain herself, didn’t even need to be rumored to do that.

Allison, in turn, told her about Luther and her.

They drank alcohol and talked about them and it all ended in giggles because they weren’t so different after all, at least not were men are concerned, they got the twins after all.

They promised to not tell the others about it, even if they were suspicious, their dad would be mad and would try to separate them somehow.

There was something quite great about sharing a secret with a sister.

Years passed and Allison was pregnant of another man’s baby.

And Vanya broke up with Five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, that happened D:  
> Also, about the name Quentin, I have read that name in quite a lot of fanfics, I don’t know if its canon or something but it’s a good name.  
> In this universe she didn’t write the book, well she didn’t publish it,  
> Thanks for reading :P!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make the chapter a little longer,  
> Thanks for commenting and reading :D

**Chapter 4**

In front of her was Allison wearing a black jacket that couldn’t hide the small bump of her pregnancy. They were in the most hidded table of the restaurant to avoid getting recognized by some of her fans. Her skin was glowing, the pregnancy did that, but her smile iluminate her face.

Vanya smiled back automatically.

“I went to the monthly check-up, the doctor said everything is okay. Look Vanya, isn’t she the cutest?” Allison brought up the cellphone closer to show her the baby’s ultrasound. She got her sister’s nose.

Vanya was melting.

“She has your nose,” she told her in awe, and Allison nodded with delight. “I’m so happy for you, I can’t believe you are going to be a mom… and I an aunt.” She was still looking at the picture with a smile in her face.

“Me neither, everything went so fast” Allison confessed, slicing the meat of her plate with the knife and fork. “Patrick… he is so over the moon. I don’t remember being this happy, I… I’m glad it’s him, you know? The one I married.” There was an expression of happiness and sadness at the same time on her face, Vanya didn’t know why.

“Sometimes,” Allison started, and Vanya raised her head to look at her, snapping out of her thoughts. “I feel like I’m being a little bit selfish, with Patrick, well…” Her sister looked unsure, and she didn’t know what was affecting her like that. Allison told her about how meeting Patrick was like love at first sight.

Vanya was confused. “I…well, as long as he makes you happy, then there’s nothing wrong in feeling a little selfish.”

That seemed to brighten her mood. She took her glass of water. “Cheers for that!”

Vanya liked her sister better when she was in this kind of mood, it was contagious, and it made her forget about other things.

Allison hummed gazing at her with an expression on her face she knew too well, it only meant trouble.

“A friend of Patrick is around town,” she started, and Vanya knew what it was about. She rolled her eyes. “He’s in need of someone to show him around.”

“I know what you mean but I’m not interested,” she said in a definitive tone. Talking about relationships and men was fine as long as it wasn’t related to her.

“C’mon Vanya, he’s single and your type: tall, dark hair, piercing eyes.” Allison wiggled her eyebrows the way Klaus would do if he were here.

She almost chocked on her drink. “Oh, my god, no.” Her pregnancy was changing her mood too randomly and Vanya secretly didn’t appreciate it.

Allison opened her mouth to say something, but Vanya was faster. “And I don’t have a type, that’s just a coincidence... And before you say anything, I’m not ready.” She looked at her food, realizing it was getting cold.

Allison raised her hands. “Alright, alright, I won’t say anything. But if you change your mind...” She giggled.

“I doubt it.” Vanya sliced the meat and took a big bite; she heard her scoff a little. Her appetite had increased since she lowered the dose of her medication, she felt hunger in a way she didn’t before. That made her enjoy the food more, she found herself craving for sweets, and meat and anything really, like a newborn that wanted to discover flavors for the first time. Vanya was a picky eater, so it was surprising at first but too troublesome later.

Paying the bills was a priority, going to restaurants or buying desserts wasn’t. The food she got was sufficient enough to avoid losing any more weight. The type of clothes she used now hided her frame, so no one noticed anything weird.

Luckily, the sessions with the therapist were cheap.

“Vanya-” She heard Allison’s phone vibrating and with an apologetic smile she attended the call. Allison frowned her eyebrows and pursed her lips. That was a bad, she normally avoided to do that, didn’t want to wrinkle her face. The voice sounded urgent, but Vanya didn’t want to eavesdrop, it was rude in her opinion. It didn’t matter what she thought, lately she could hear any sound, even the little heartbeats of Allison’s baby.

“You know I can’t, Luther, I’m retired from this job. Let’s talk about it in person.” She ended the call and sighed using her hand to rub her temple.

“Everything’s okay?” Vanya asked worried about her sister.

She didn’t know Allison still talked to Luther.

“Not really.” She tapped her fingers against the table but didn’t elaborate.

“Right, what did he said?” She pressed, curious.

She looked at her for a moment. “It’s something about a case. I’m not sure if I should tell you about it, but it’s bad.”

They never told her about their missions, but Allison was retired and if Luther was asking her to be involved… Could it be?

“About those women?” Allison looked up at her in surprise. So, she already knew about the case. This time she didn’t felt left out, for the first time she didn’t want to be included.

“You know about it, how?”

Vanya sighed. “Five told me, showed me the pictures and well-”

“Vanya, it’s not only about the women, there’s more that.” Allison avoided her eyes. “We can’t discuss this, not here.” Her tone was final because she didn’t want to talk about it. Vanya decided to finish the meal, the atmosphere felt tense and she wondered what was all that about, what was worse than a serial killer.

“Fine wants me to act as bait or something like that,” she confessed.

Allison eyed her, shock in her face. “He asked you to do that?”

“Yeah, he went to my apartment and everything.”

“Okay, look, according to Luther, Five is _different_.... Unhinged, that’s the word he used to describe him. Even Diego is worried about him. You should be careful.” Vanya laughed despite herself, but it was a bitter sound. Five was always unapologetic by his actions, he retaliated and made his opinions be known because he thought was always right. He just needed to manipulate his siblings like chess pieces to a plan he formulated in his mind without telling them.

Their brothers either fought him or were subdued by him.

It was always a blood bath between brothers that ended in reluctant acceptance. Five thrived in that.

And she, too dopped to know better, let herself be pushed by him.

Five back at her apartment was different in appearance as well, his hair was a bit longer and had stubble in his face.

That was the first signal that something was wrong, he was a polished man.

“You don’t have to tell me, I know.”

\---

She walked towards the stairs after Allison gave her a ride home that she initially refused. After their conversation about their brothers the mood was ruined by a silence between them that made Vanya try to numb her mind of racing, unwelcome thoughts.

Her sister had her mind elsewhere, and Vanya didn’t know if it was because the case or something else.

Luther always managed to affect her, no matter how many times Allison denied it.

Vanya put a hand to the railing, feeling a little bit down because without her sister’s presence the scenery around her changed to dull colors, as if her sister was some kind of shining figure that illuminated wherever room she was in.

That thought made her feel ridiculous.

Maybe Allison was right, and she needed some sort of distraction. It was almost a year when everything changed but, at times, she felt stationary. Unmoving.

She heard the sounds around her, looking for one that could represent danger but there was none, it was both relieving and alarming. Tiring, the sensation of someone trailing her like she was some kind of prey, of eyes watching her through all directions, but knew it was because of the new dose messing with her head. A withdrawal of sorts.

She also needed to stop watching horror movies.

In fast steps she went to the door of her apartment and tried to open it with trembling hands. She looked at the right and only saw the window, then to the left and-

Vanya almost dropped the key because someone was next to her. A hand stopped her screaming.

“Calm down, it’s me.” Five’s voice sounded right into her ears but his words had the opposite effect, she struggled in panic to get the hand off her mouth. Five chuckled with a raised eyebrow and she glared at him, her heart shacking out of her chest.

“Five, what are you doing here?” She asked in a hushed voice to avoid disturbing the neighbors.

“I told you I would visit you in a few days. Here I am.” He was still smiling.

Vanya crossed her arms but didn’t avoid his eyes. “I made myself clear the other day.”

“You did?” He tilted his head. “Uh, I don’t remember.”

She scoffed, not believing his words for a second, the adrenaline was still pumping out her heart along with Allison’s warning. “I won’t help you, end of story.”

“Oh, but you will,” Five hissed baring his teeth the way he did it when Luther or Diego annoyed him.

But unlike her brothers, who wanted to fight instead of being subdued, Vanya decided to take a third choice, to ignore him. She opened the door and in a swift move of her body entered the apartment and pushed the door to close it.

Five was right next to her in an instant. “Nice try, but you know I can jump, right?” His almost playful voice had a dark undertone to it. 

She could almost see the gears working in his head, formulating a plan to make her cooperate. She took a step back, feeling a little intimidated by the way he was looking at her with a smirk in his face and unreadable eyes.

There was no winning against him.

“Five please, stop,” she modulated her voice to sound more submissive, the way she did it to make him do something for her. Five scoffed, not believing her act for a moment. He walked towards the couch.

“Sit down,” he gestured to her, but she stood in the same place.

“Stop being so stubborn, Vanya. Let’s talk like adults, shall we?” Five didn’t relent. Vanya thought it was a bit rich coming from him.

“Do you want me to call the media and tell them you are here?” The surprise on Five’s face pleased her. There was something building in her stomach, wanting for a moment to set loose.

“I’d prefer you cooperated.”

“What kind of _idiot_ do you think _I am_ to get involved in something _like that_.” She emphasized each word to make him understand. That burning, hot weight in her stomach, that she recognized as anger, was starting to leak. The sound of her own heartbeat was ringing in her ears. “I don’t have a death wish, Five, just go away.”

The lights flickered.

“You’re done?” She wanted to shout a negative but seeing Five in a relaxed stance, in contrast to hers made her deflate like a balloon, an ashamed one. He didn’t react to her display of anger, he probably thought she was throwing a temper tantrum.

“I see what the problem is,” Five continued when Vanya didn’t say anything as she tried to dissipate the anger with each exhale of air. “You think you are going to be harmed.” He looked disbelieving, and she didn’t know what was so perplexing about it.

“Well, yeah. Those women-” The pictures flashed in her mind and she flinched, could almost smell a metallic scent in the air.

“It wasn’t my intention to scare you.” Despite the choice of words, the tone of his voice felt clinical. “I forgot you weren’t trained like us,” he added, and she fought back the grimace by biting the inside of her cheeks.

Five knew how she hated to be reminded about it.

“You don’t have to be an asshole about it,” she felt her checks warm. Mortified, she tried to hide them with her hair, but her short locks weren’t of any help. Five noticed anyway because he looked away from her.

“This isn’t making me happy either, but it must be done like this. I assure you that nothing is going to happen to you.”

“If you are not happy about it,” she started and Five rested her eyes on her, waiting for her to just agree with him. “Then you should ask someone else, our brothers must know of someone that could do the job, maybe you do as well.”

Five narrowed his eyes, tensed lips set in atight line and his jaw muscles twitching. She smiled at him.

“You can’t see it, do you? There’s something bigger than us at stake-,” he stopped mid-sentence, remembering who he was talking to. Vanya waited for an explanation, but he didn’t add more.

“What aren’t you telling me?” He ignored the question and instead grabbed his briefcase, Five got up from the couch to walk towards the kitchen’s table, he didn’t look at her while doing that.

“Five-”

“Like I said, classified information,” Five said distractedly, his was mind was elsewhere. He sat down in a chair with a pen in hand.

She crossed her arms and saw him grabbing a rectangular white sheet from his briefcase. It was a check.

“And like I said, I won’t help you,” she retorted while walking near him, curious despite herself. Feeling tired, she sat down in Five’s opposite chair.

“I see you don’t want to help me, that’s okay. Let’s change that.” He started to fill out the check. Vanya didn’t know how to feel about it.

“I’m not asking you as a _brother_ , think of me as a business partner. How much do you want?” He smirked, his dimples at full display like a feline playing with its prey just because it could.

Vanya took deep breaths.

“I don’t need the money.” She crossed her arms, feeling her limbs cold for a moment. The weight of Five’s eyes made her look at the check, just to avoid those green eyes that were damped with something dark.

“Are you sure? This place could look better, perhaps you could move out to a better one.” She huffed; her apartment was okay. Five gazed at her apartment, looking for defects he could criticize making Vanya be self-conscious about it. Five noticed that because he turned to her, leaning forward, eyes sparkling with anticipation, waiting for the moment in which her resolve would crumble like a tower of cards.

“Your answer?” He inquired.

She let the silence hang stiff over the two of them, processing the offer, Five wasn’t bothered about it in the slightest. She needed the money, could replace her old, scratched violin, and buy a Stradivarius, a white one. The chocolate cake she saw in that expensive store could be sitting in this table and she could eat it all while looking at some movie.

The hunger could be soothed when the food she bought with her own money wasn’t enough.

Five would stop bothering her.

Vanya looked at him, resigned. His chin was resting in his hand with casual but calculative eyes, a tilt of his lips gave him away.

She can’t win, can she?

“Alright,” she said in a weak tone, blinking rapidly, feeling oddly overwhelmed and disappointed at herself.

“You didn’t name your price, but this is good, don’t you think?” He slipped the check and Vanya saw all those zeroes glaring back at her. She inhaled deeply; it was a lot.

“Very well, Vanya. I knew I could reason with you,” he leaned against the back of the chair, like he always did when a chess game was over with Vanya on the losing side.

Almost all the times, really.

Vanya sighed and turned away, angling her side towards him to look at anything but his winning smile. “Just tell me what I need to do.”

\---

With a small suitcase in one hand and trying to call a cab with the other, she found herself with trepidation in her chest. It was raining a little bit, cold drops of water wetting her hair and rolling down her face making her shiver, the days were getting colder and the weather didn’t help at all. For a moment she wished being in the safe commodity of her apartment, preferably under a lot of blankets.

Vanya didn’t have an installed heater in there, so she made a mental note to change that.

It was darkening and that made her feel nervous, eyes instinctually straying at all directions. There were some men starting to smoke and drink, but she tried to ignore them. She waited there for almost ten minutes, scolding at herself for not bringing an umbrella and accepting Five’s offer of all things.

A headache was forming, already feeling the characteristic pulsating pain and dry eyes.

A cab stopped in front of her, and she sighed relieved. Struggling, she opened the door and entered the car.

“So, where to?” The cabdriver asked and she looked down at the paper in one of her hands, words still legible despite the raining.

“City’s hotel?” She answered, feeling dumb at wording it like a question.

He looked surprised. “Sorry, where to?” She answered again, this time without a doubt in her voice.

“Ok.”

She leaned her head against the window, the sound of the rain slamming against the cab’s roof lulling her.

Five gave her a direction and reservation papers, but his instructions weren’t clear, he told her to wait. She packed some of her belongings in the suitcase, clothes and shoes, nothing else. Her fingers were twitching, begging to play the violin but she didn’t bring it with her.

She scolded herself again.

The cabdriver was flickering his gaze to the rearview mirror, but Vanya tried to ignore his persistent eyes.

“City’s Hotel, right?” The man broke the silence with raised eyebrows.

Vanya didn’t know why he was so confused about it. “Yeah, is there a problem?”

“No, miss,” he said, and she felt incredulous.

Another cryptic jerk.

She tapped her fingers against her thigh, the ride seemed to be longer than expected. There was a lot of traffic and the cars were slow to avoid crashing with each other.

The car stopped, the red of the traffic light reflecting back at them. The cabdriver used the moment to look at her again through the rearview mirror, she wasn’t sure but could almost swear he looked worried.

He was young, maybe out of his teen years.

She wasn’t intimidated at all.

“Okay, what is it?” She asked, trying to modulate her voice and sound like how Allison would, or how her mom sounded when her brothers tried to hide something from her when they were younger.

“Miss?” The squeal in his voice told her she did good, her acting was getting better.

“Well?” She pressed.

“I… fine. I heard some rumors…” He looked hesitant and the car started to move again.

“What rumors?” Her voice lost some of her assertiveness because the pictures of these women flashed in her mind again.

“That hotel… it’s not a place for a person like you.” She didn’t know how to take that.

“A person like me?” Vanya asked, fighting the wince in her face.

“A good person,” he answered, and her mind went blank, that’s not how she would describe herself.

 _Ordi_ …

“How could you say that? You don’t know me.”

“In this line of work, you get a sixth sense about people. The way they dress, how they conduct themselves, that tells a lot. But what they talk about, that’s the real deal."

“I see,” she said confused of his words but the man nodded. “But what about the rumors?”

“I’m not sure if I should tell you…”

“It’s okay,” Vanya said.

“That hotel, miss… Rich men frequent there, they go there to relax, enjoy of fun activities, you know? The media isn’t talking about it, they are hiding it for some reason, but people like to talk. There is this rumor about women disappearing, It’s been months, almost a year since the first one did. They are probably death, all of them.”

A sense of dread filled her, and she tried to breathe deeply, but her chest felt constricted. She knew, Five _showed_ her the evidence, but it felt real when someone said it out loud.

Five said it was recent.

Did he know that or was hiding the truth?

And what exactly did he mean with fun activities, she hoped it wasn’t what she thought.

“I…thanks for your concern, but I guess they’re just rumors,” she lied.

She hoped Five knew what he was doing.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to upset you or anything, but like you said, they’re just rumors. Maybe they talk about it to attract clients, I don’t know how these people think. It’s a new hotel, after all.”

She leaned again against the window, trying to calm her nerves. The hotel was almost outside the city, near the airport.

“We have arrived,” the man said, and she gazed over the white building. Tall, immense, and shinning in lights. People were outside in expensive clothes smoking cigarettes. She heard music inside the building.

The cabdriver was right, she didn’t belong here, not with these clothes and unruled hair. The man waited for her. 

“Oh, right. Here,” she turned to him and gave him the money.

“Have a good evening, miss. Good luck.”

_Yeah, I’ll need it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, finally Vanya accepts, although reluctantly.  
> Also, I’m kinda glad that Five is comming off as a jerk, I wasn’t sure about his characterization.  
> The hotel’s name is kinda dumb but I’m bad with names, so bear with me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo, it’s almost been a month but the only thing I can say is: the teachers are going insane.

**Chapter 5**

After sighing deeply Vanya, with a suitcase in hand, entered the hotel and went to check in. The receptionist, a man well-dressed, gave her a quick elevator look that she decided to ignore.

“Good evening miss, can I help you?” He smiled at her but the tension in his lips made her know it was a fake one.

“Hi… I have a reservation done under the name Miss Harvey,” she said remembering Five’s instructions, it was like he already knew she was going to accept.

“Give me a minute, miss.” She nodded and waited, noticing she was sweating a little bit. She rubbed her hands against her jeans.

“Miss Harrison, a deluxe room for four nights, correct?”

She blinked, “Yep.” That was a lot of time, she’d need to cancel her violin lessons; her young students would be happy about it, but their parents were going to throw a fit. There was a man that wanted her lessons too, she’d need to delay the interview.

“Very well, sign here to confirm the payment.” She did, it was a ’V’ being encased by an ’H’ with blue ink.

“Here’s your key, miss, room J532. A bell boy will take your suitcase.”

“Thanks, but It’s not necessary,” she said, her suitcase was a small one and Vanya didn’t want her belongings in the hands of someone that was a potential murderer.

That were her nerves talking.

“Okay, your room is on the tenth floor, the elevator is at your right. Have a nice stay.” She went to the elevator and pressed the buttons.

Yesterday she was thinking of making a violin piece because motivation hit her all of the sudden, a voice urging her to create instead of replicate music because it was time she stepped up, but now Vanya was here in a mission with Five to capture a serial killer, meaning everyone was suspicious.

This wasn’t good for her health.

Interesting how things could happen so fast, it figures Five would be the one to bring changes in her life.

The hotel was…pretty, for a lack of a better word, even the elevator looked expensive. The doors opened and a man and a woman entered, they looked at her in surprise and Vanya gave them a tight smile. Their heartbeats were beating fast and the woman had her mouth tainted of red, as if they were just kissing.

Feeling flustered, she avoided visual contact.

She was told this hotel was for men to enjoy of fun activities, so that meant this.

She waited, hoping to be on the tenth floor as soon as possible. Once the elevator stopped, she searched for her room, it was the furthest one.

Vanya turned the lights on and dropped the suitcase near the dresser that was in front of the bed, she leaned back into the bed and closed her eyes, feeling tired because it was pretty late.

Before sleeping she’d need to take a shower.

Vanya turned and saw the other area of the room, a small railing divided it. With curiosity she went over there and noticed two small steps before stumbling. It was like a small living room area and dining room area combined, there was also an office desk. A minibar was in front of the sofa, she opened the mini fridge and saw a lot of alcoholic drinks, squinting her eyes she saw a water bottle and took it, fully knowing it would cost Five more money because those things were overpriced.

She also grabbed some chocolates and peanuts.

Vanya, who had a hidden vindictive streak on her, also took a lot of other things even if she wasn’t going to eat nor drink them.

Five’s wallet wouldn’t really suffer but her intention was what it matters

The silence was bothering her, needing sound she turned on the TV.

She filled the tub with warm water, it felt great and she closed her eyes feeling at ease, joints getting relaxed and her headache disappearing.

After that she used a night cream and other things that Alisson gave her on their birthday.

A vibration inside the briefcase startled her, it was the cellphone Five gave her. New message.

_Vanya, search for microphones._

She read and then Five sent her an image. The microphone was a small thing resembling a black button. With a towel scrubbing her hair she searched under her bed, under the pillows, near the TV, inside the minibar, in all of the spaces. She went to the bathroom and looked at every place.

Vanya found four of them.

 _Found them_ , she texted back and left them on the nightstand. Vanya exhaled contemplating for a moment why there were microphones on the first place and how Five knew about it.

This was a very nice room, she mussed while touching the sheets, glancing at the big TV and the expensive drinks in the minibar.

A hotel in which people got missing.

Worse, dead.

Being here was like a dream come true, as a child she would daydream of going on missions with her brothers and as a teenager of doing one that involved just Five and her because Vanya had the biggest crush on him.

A dream that now, as an adult, she didn’t like in the slightest.

When Vanya was younger and still lived with the Umbrella Academy Five and Six would tell her about their missions and the places they visited, how cool Five was that time with that robber or how Six reluctantly saved the day.

But they didn’t tell her about killing people, they sugarcoated things.

They stayed in hotels, preparing their missions and just talking with each other. She would become envious longing to be part of it, feeling even more left out than she already was, but smiled and nodded and asked questions because she didn’t want them to know how it bothered her.

Five would tell her it was an uneventful mission, but Vanya knew better because he didn’t look bored at all.

Five, who said preferred her company and got annoyed by his brothers, spent his time with them without inviting her.

She knew it was not on purpose because they had to talk their missions and other things, she wasn’t privy but one day she noticed all of them were in the kitchen talking to each other, but it wasn’t about missions nor strategies nor powers, they just talked.

Vanya still wasn’t invited.

 _Ok, don’t make any sound_. She finished reading and just like that Five appeared in her room. Vanya gaped at him because he was carrying a large gun and had a silver briefcase in the other hand.

Five raised his eyebrow as if asking for the microphones and she gestured at them. He put them inside his pocket and jumped out of the room.

“Well done,” he appeared next to her after a few minutes and she moved sideways because being so close bothered her.

“Thanks,” she said awkwardly, noticing she was nude and only wearing a towel.

“I’ll give you a moment to put on some clothes.”

Vanya grabbed her clothes, went to the bathroom and locked the door to have a sense of security, feeling flustered at her nudity because it meant being vulnerable to Five, a feeling she was starting to hate because for the most part of her life the only person she trusted was him.

She also didn’t want him to see her skin, a strange thing considering they knew each other’s bodies since they were teenagers.

She saw her reflection in the mirror, red rimmed eyes of troubled memories that she thought were on the past to never bother her again.

Vanya breathed deeply and stopped thinking about anything, her therapist told her to never be swallowed on these memories because it would be difficult for her to get out of her own mind.

She got out the bathroom combing her short hair.

“So are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Vanya asked.

“Yes Vanya, now that you’re here by _contract_ I can tell you about the details of this mission,” he said, gesturing to her to sit down. “As you know, women with unique features have been found dead these past months. They have something in common besides their appearance…” he gazed intently at her.

“They have booked a room in this hotel,” he chuckled, a deep sound that made her shiver. “A ridiculous thing if you ask me but this actually makes sense, our reluctant _client,_ who is actually one of the founders of this hotel _,_ is the one who gave us a lead. This group has someone who approached these women and met them here, lured them and… you know what happens next.”

The pictures, they got killed. “I get it.”

“I’m glad you do, as for your involvement here,” he said, “all you have to do is going downstairs, look pretty and approachable and that’s it… that way you’ll get someone’s attention, no, _their_ attention, because I believe we’re dealing with a group of killers. Someone will approach you and will try to seduce you…” Five paused.

She crossed her arms starting to get anxious. “Okay? Someone, probably the killer, will try to _seduce_ me and you want me to play along, then what?”

“Don’t be afraid, I’ll _kill_ them first before something happens, simple as that, just leave the rest to me, sounds good to you?” Five looked like he’d enjoy killing them.

Five, who didn’t like to kill and sugarcoated things for her, was talking about murder so casually it disturbed Vanya.

“No, It doesn’t? First of all, why do they look like me? you haven’t disclosed that.”

And look pretty to a killer? Did he want her to get murdered or something?

Most likely Five’s intention all along, Allison said he was being strange and warned her to be careful around him.

“To be honest with you, its unconclusive, the killers must have a dangerous fetish with petite women,” he chuckled, and Vanya shook her head in disgust. “It could be a coincidence, but our client _kindly_ gave me information because there has been _some_ attempts on him, his neck is on the line.”

“I don’t know what to say, I thought the people here, the owners, were the... murderers.”

“They probably are.”

Vanya just stared at him.

“Powerful people wanting to kill each other is nothing new, it’s like a sport for them to pass the time,” he dismissed. “Because of our involvement on this case we’ve been attacked on different ways. Luther wants to get Allison on the case too, but she’s retired and pregnant, he probably wants to protect her by locking her up; As for you, they’re not targeting you because your relation to us is unknown to the world, to them. The reason why I want you to get involved is because we can’t trust anyone else. Vanya, you’re perfect for this.”

_“Vanya, you feel so perfect around me.”_

“But it’s suicide to attack you.” It was the only thing Vanya could say because she was to perplexed to think about anything intelligent.

“They do it indirectly. Inspector Patch, Diego’s partner, got attacked a month ago, the culprit was captured and interrogated but turns out the man was paid to do that. A hired killer who didn’t know whose orders he was following. Our enemies are powerful people who have a grudge against our client, against us, but their intentions remain a mystery because they do things that doesn’t follow any logic.”

As each word Five uttered, the angriest he got, she knew, even if he tried to mask it.

Vanya has never seen him like this.

He told her he needed to check on something and left.

\---

Eyes popping out of the walls of a silent cave were gazing at her without blinking while she played the violin. Her fingers were bleeding because her father was criticizing and pointing at every mistake she made, telling her to start over, and over and over again. No, one more time, again. Number Seven, why do you have to be so talentless, so ordinary? You won’t leave until you do it right. Harsh words stabbing her quite literally because she was now in a morgue with Five taking a picture of her, bleeding out and dead to the world.

She woke up in a mess of sweat, whimpering and trying to fill her lungs of oxygen because she was suffocating.

It was just a nightmare.

Leaning back again against the pillows she closed her eyes trying to just avoid thinking.

“You okay?” The sound of his voice startled her, she didn’t say anything and turned to her right side afraid of sounding and looking vulnerable.

“Vanya, did you eat while I was out?” He asked and her silence this time was an enough answer for him. “You can call and order for something, you know that, right? It’s called room service.”

His worried and at the same time sarcastic tone pissed her off.

Vanya ate some chocolates and drank a lot of water.

“Five not now, I want to sleep.” She was too tired to even do that.

“Fine, have it your way,” he placed a suitcase on the bed. “You may want to look at it, I’ll be here tomorrow morning around 8 A.M. It’ll be better if you have breakfast downstairs, chat with people a little bit, text me when you do that.”

She nodded, internally panicking.

“Another thing, keep the phone close to you, press this button,” he gestured at the red one. “Only on emergencies, okay? I’ll need to check on some things tomorrow, so I won’t be here the whole time,” he noticed her flustered face because he added: “I’ll try.”

“You can’t be serious, Five-”

“We’ll talk tomorrow.” He told her and she just gaped at him.

She was going to die here, wasn’t she?

“I find your lack of faith in my abilities and competence amusing,” he said it in a way that wasn’t amusing in the sightliest and did she say that out loud?

“Vanya, it’s going to be alright.”

\---

She rose from sleep with removed energy, the sheets and the pillows made her rest in a way she didn’t before because the bed of her apartment was quite old and flat which make her uncomfortable to even sleep there.

Vanya looked inside the briefcase, rubbing her neck and yawning.

Clothes, lots of it.

But not any clothes

Her old clothes given by Five as gifts when he was her lover, when he was out of the country and bought her things when he returned. She would wear them to look pretty for him, skirts, dresses, liking to know she was desired by him while deep down she actually liked more neutral, androgenous clothes.

There was also jewelry inside, her old makeup that probably was expired, shoes, heels, her favorite perfume (Five’s).

She sighed, Five should have throwed everything but didn’t.

She didn’t want to think about that.

All of the dresses were too much for her, she needed something more basic.

She put on a black dress, the simplest one, glancing at herself in the vanity mirror of the bathroom and putting on makeup to look pretty for some criminal, a funny thought. She would need to wear a sweater or something to look more casual.

She lacked practice to look good.

Five appeared beside her.

“What’s taking you so long?” Five glanced down at her but Vanya brushed him off because breakfast closed at ten, still had time, instead she focused on putting mascara on her eyelashes.

Five’s hand was on her waist while the other grabbed the lose fabric around it. “It doesn’t fit you.” The action made her drop the brush.

“Don’t t-touch me so casually, Five. What’s wrong with you?” She pushed his hands off her almost too comically.

Five glanced at her and leaned against the wall, lips flickering in grim amusement and watching her put on the makeup. “My mistake, didn’t mean to offend your delicate sensibilities.”

“Are you really going to be an asshole the whole time? Because I know it’s hard for you not to, but just stop.”

He raised his hands in an placate form. “Alright I’ll stop.” She stared at him, composing herself because being touched by him gave her bad memories.

Five’s playful eyes changed with a serious glint. “When you go downstairs, there will be men who’ll try to, basically, sleep with you. Ignore them or something, it’ll be _easy_ for you. The thing is, any of them could be our target, hell, it can be the bell boy. Try to act as unbothered as possible, update me on everything and don’t drink alcohol, they put drugs on it.”

“Where are you going to be?”

“Dealing with some assholes, I’ll be here in a few hours if everything goes well.” He smiled too deeply his dimples were showing. “Before I go, Vanya, some advice for you,” she looked up at him. “Don’t forget to wear panties.” He disappeared again.

Did he really just say that?

…

Oh.

Her cheeks started to get red, getting the reference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, does this counts as Dark Five?  
> Someone wanted to know if Five is going to get jealous or something? Of courseee, I love me some jealousy and angst  
> There’s an explanation to Five’s behaviour, of course (I just hope is a convincing one, hah jk) This is written on Vanya’s POV so we don’t get the whole true, soo, maybe I’ll try to write on Five’s POV, but lateer.  
> There’s some tension between them because at the end of the day they’re exes.


End file.
